Take Me the Way I Am
by NS- Leclair
Summary: After three years of being in love with Sara and watching her throw herself at Grissom, Nick begins to contemplate if she's really worth fighting for.
1. Chapter 1

The sound of her laughter echoed throughout the hall, down from Gill Grissom's trap of an office to the evidence room where Ni

**Disclaimer: **You know they're not mine. Title is from the Song "Take Me the Way I Am" by Ingrid Michaelson.

**Rating: **M for future chapter(s).

**A/N:** I really didn't want to start another story when I already have at least three that I need to finish but I've been contemplating something like this. Sorry that's a little angstier than what you guys are used to coming from me. Also, I intended this to be a one shot but it appears that I just have some much Grissom/Sara Nick/Sara angst that I have to get it out in a couple of chapters. Oh well. I might even update this one again within the week. That might be a record. Ugh, I just finished this chapter and I am now tempted to leave it as a one shot. Should I?

Take Me the Way I Am

The sound of her laughter echoed throughout the hall, down from Gill Grissom's trap of an office to the evidence room where Nick was desperately trying not to break the delicate china that he had trying to dust for prints for the second time. Each time, her flirtatious laugh stopped him because he knew what she was doing. He knew the way her face looked, her eyes sparkling deviously and her pearly whites flashing, and the way her body was when she made that sound.

Every last bit of his reason tried to make him focus and forget about her because he had to. His sick little three year love affair with her was nothing more than a fantasy. He would not have her because she wasn't his. She would never want to be his and he had to accept that. It was continuous mantra that rushed through his head every time he caught the scent of her perfume or when she touched his arm lightly in conversation, probably without realizing it.

It sickened him to think of Sara as such a masochist but it was the only way to explain her behavior since she wasn't stupid albeit blind at times. How could she love Grissom? He was old, cocky, antisocial, nerdy, and downright unattractive, Nick thought, though he wasn't about to suggest that he was any better for Sara. Actually, he did believe himself to be better for her because he would never stand Sara up or tell her that he wanted to be with her one moment and then not in the next. Nick would never take advantage of her like Grissom did, and of that, Nick was certain.

Footsteps sounded from down the hall, immediately snapping Nick's mind out of his increasingly frequent internal rants. He didn't have to look up from the paisley print of the white china to know that it was Sara and Grissom walking past his room. Her liquid honey voice would have given away who she was talking to any day. It disgusted him to listen to the pair since was obvious that Sara was flirting with Grissom though he shrugged it off, ignoring any backhanded and possibly suggestive comments from her lips.

"How're you doing, Nicky?" Sara said happily, entering the lab room alone.

"Just peachy," he drawled, refusing to look up at her beaming face.

"You okay? You seem kind of moody."

"Nope. Just tired of dusting china," he lied, finally placing down the cup in an act of surrender.

"You need some help? Gil suggested that you might need it."

She was the only one in the entire unit to call him by his first name. It made him wish that she would say his name with such fervor and pleasure.

"No, I think I can mange a whole set of teacups by myself."

"Okay, Nicky. If you say so."

He hated it when she called him by that pet name. It always made him feel like she was his little brother. And that he definitely was not.

Turning on her heel, she walked off with her brown hair bobbing in its ponytail, leaving only her scent of vanilla to linger with him.

"Great," he muttered. "Real smooth."

After another hour of muttering and dusting for prints on ancient cups and saucers, Nick succumbed to his growling stomach and made his way to the lunchroom only to find Sara leaning into Grissom's space as she poured himself a cup of coffee. He could have puked at her desperation, at her need to get Grissom's attention and make him realize that she was female. She was certainly trying to drive home the latter point since she had one hand resting on the edge of the counter, the other on her hip as she leaned in slightly, revealing creamy cleavage. In the past couple of months, Nick had seen more of her cleavage than he had in the past two and a half years combined. She was trying hard and Grissom just wasn't having any of it.

"Nick, how's your case coming?" Grissom questioned formally, sidestepping Sara, another move to completely ignore her.

She looked putout. Nick looked nauseated.

"Slowly," he replied distantly, raiding the contents of the fridge for his lunch.

"You actually brought a lunch?" Sara questioned.

"Yepp. Thought I'd save myself some money," he said flippantly.

"That's a good idea," she offered.

Nick noticed how even though she was facing him and talking directly to him, Sara was always aware of what Grissom was doing and where he was. She was using her peripheral vision to watch him. It scared Nick. She was practically obsessed though he supposed she had to be in order for Grissom to realize that she was there, female, and willing.

"Nick, you look kind of pale. You all right?" Grissom wondered, musing over his cup of steaming coffee.

"I'm fine, thanks."

All he wanted to do was sit in silence in the lunchroom and eat his sandwich that he had made before work. He was sick of seeing Sara present herself to repeatedly to his boss while he ignored it. It would have only taken her once to show Nick some cleavage and offer some flirtatious comments before he had her screaming beneath him in his bed.

"So they're reopening that new science centre," Sara started, watching Grissom's face for any hint of interest.

"When?"

"I think this Friday. I was thinking of going. It sounds kind of interesting."

"You should."

Oh God. Grissom was either ridiculously blind and dumb or completely not interested in Sara at all.

"They have this whole exhibit on butterflies and moths. There's another one on some kind of beetle only found in the Southern United States."

"Sounds like your kind of party," Nick offered, trying to help Sara out in hopes of getting rid of the two of them faster.

"No, I've got other plans this weekend," Grissom replied nonchalantly, leaving it at that.

"What, you're hosting the bug exhibit?" Nick jested out of sick amusement.

"Not quite. Lady Heather and I are going out to dinner. She told me about this great French restaurant on the other side of town that she's been dying to go to and so have I."

"So you and Lady Heather?" Nick asked, stealing the words from Sara's mouth, which was slightly agape.

"No, Nick. I'm not sure if you know this but two adults of the opposite sexes can go out for dinner without it being sexual."

"Not when she's the head dominatrix of a brothel," he muttered.

"There's more to her than leather boots and a corset," Grissom replied curtly.

"Sorry, I forgot about her whip and chains too."

Nick knew he was trending on a soft spot for Grissom but he loved every minute of it too much to stop goading him.

"Nick, do you have a problem with Lady Heather's lifestyle?"

"Not at all."

"Then what _do_ you have a problem with?"

Such an open-ended question, Nick mused to himself. He could start with how oblivious Grissom was since Sara was all but physically throwing herself at him. Nick could continue on with how Grissom was taking advantage of Sara by standing her up and knowing that she'll be there whenever he wants her to be no matter the time of day or what she was doing. However, Nick wasn't about to compromise his career because he was in love with his coworker who wanted nothing to do with him except to be his friend.

"Nothing. This case is just draining me, that's all."

"It's okay. Just don't take your frustrations out someone else who doesn't deserve it."

"Sure thing."

Grissom excused himself, saying that he need to get back to office to do some paperwork. Much to Nick's surprise, Sara didn't jump up at the opportunity to be alone in a small room with their boss. Instead, she said silently in her chair, staring at Nick with a fierceness in her eyes that troubled him.

In one moment, it was gone, as if she had shifted thoughts completely. Sorrow replaced it, sadness emanating from her in crushing waves. Nick wanted to get up and hold her in her arms, tell her that she was going to be fine and that it wasn't the end of the world that Grissom was clearly, though not admittedly, in love with another woman. Nick wanted to, but he didn't know how. A perverse part of him wanted her to suffer like he had been for the past three years.

Her eyes watered slightly as he stood up to put his untouched sandwich back in the fridge. When he reached the doorway, he half turned to find her eyes searching his desperately. She_ wanted_ him to help her, he could see that. She was even more devastated that it was clear that he wasn't about to.

"Now you know how I feel," he said softly.

This time, it was his footsteps that echoed down the hallway and her crying that followed in pursuit.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** They're not mine. I wish I profited from them, had created them, owned them but I don't. It's a touchy subject.

**Rating:** uhh… PG. It's angst-y.

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews. Julie and Ashley, this chapter is for you guys. Julie: I know David Boreanaz is hot, but come on… come on! Eleen: I don't know what it was in your comment that I liked so much, but I did. Maybe it was because that's the way I was going with this: Sara, stop being so available.

Pre-warning: this is going to get darker than my regular fluffy and PWP fics. Also, as I'm writing this, I noticed that I'm writing in a weird style. Maybe you won't notice. Just roll with it.

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**Chapter 2**

Flopping himself down on his worn leather couch, Nick flicked on the television and tried to relax. His day at work had been even more disastrous than the day before when he had told Sara, 'Now you know how I feel.'

"What was I thinking," he muttered to himself, shaking his head as he changed the channel to Sports Network.

That's what happened when Nick didn't think: he spewed out words and phrases that revealed more than he had initially intended and would regret a minute later.

That day at work, Nick had avoided Sara like she had the plague. He refused to look at her, meet her imploring eyes. She wanted to talk to him, find him out. He couldn't let her. He refused to open himself up to her, to tell her everything because he knew what it all came down to: Grissom. And that was all that mattered to her.

There was so much tension in the lab during the evening, even Hodges commented on it. No one had answered because no one but Nick really knew what was going on and even he didn't have a lot of clue. In the lunch room, Nick listened again as Sara tried to make a date with Grissom. Breakfast, this time. Whether it was out of surrender or sheer amusement, Grissom complied, leaving Sara joyous for most of the night.

Nick desperately wanted to punch Grissom in the face every time he saw that smile on Sara's face because Nick knew why it was there and he hated himself for getting so worked up over something completely out of his control.

The end of his shift had rolled around not quickly enough. Nick had waited ten minutes in his truck, gripping the steering wheel as he watched Sara get into Grissom's car. He was too livid to drive, knowing that he would be too out of control. Warrick had found him sitting in the front seat with his seatbelt on and his head against the steering wheel a few minutes later.

"You all right?" questioned Warrick, knocking on the glass with his crooked finger.

"Great," Nick muttered, sitting straight up.

He rolled down the window and waited for his friend to say something.

"You sure?"

Nick's gaze flashed from Warrick's concerned face to the retreating car that pulled out of the parking lot. Warrick followed his focus and sighed.

"Nick, you need to do something about it or get over her," he advised.

"Yeah? And what am I supposed to do, man? She won't give me the time of day when he's around."

"Make her."

Nick scoffed and placed his hands on the wheel once more. "Easier said than done, my friend."

"Try taking her out to breakfast or something," Warrick shrugged, "or a movie or something she likes doing."

"Grissom's already beat me to the punch."

"She asked him and you know it so don't give me that," Warrick chastised. "You can't keep moping around, Nick."

"I just…" Nick trailed off and sighed. "I don't know. I just thought I had a chance, you know?"

"Who says you don't?"

"I don't want to be the next best thing, Warrick. She's too obsessed with Bug Boy for anything to work out between us."

"Give it some time then. Make her realize who the better guy is."

"I've been waiting for a few years now. How much longer do you think I can take this?"

"Then move on if she's not worth waiting for," Warrick answered simply, knowing it would get a rise out of his friend.

"I never said she wasn't worth it," Nick hastily replied, looking offended and surprised simultaneously.

"Then what's the big deal?"

"Shut up, man. You're making too much sense," Nick chuckled, turning over the key in the ignition. "I'm going to hit the hay."

"'Kay. I'll call you later. You want to maybe grab a beer later? I'll find you some sweet little thing at the bar and introduce you if you like," Warrick jested, moving out of the way as Nick reached out to hit him.

"Yeah, call me. I don't really feel like hanging around the house tonight."

"Sure thing."

And now Nick had roughly ten hours to kill until him and Warrick went to the bar. Ten hours to sit at home, think about Sara, and think about his stupid big mouth. He wasn't sure how he felt about Warrick's advice. In his mind, Sara was almost a lost cause. He was losing faith that he would ever get a chance for nothing had changed over the past three years.

Nick glanced up at the television when a commercial came on. Sighing, he turned the screen off and got up, feeling restless and anxious. He looked around his apartment and was disappointed when he realized it was clean. For the past couple of months, whenever Nick felt restless, he would clean every inch of his apartment and then question his masculinity once he finished.

As he made his way his way into the kitchen, a soft knock sounded from the front entrance. Nick paused mid-step and checked his watch. Warrick was ridiculously early. He retraced his steps and figured that there was no point in looking through the peephole. It was either Warrick or the pesky Jehovah's Witness that liked to come to his door once a week to chat about God and salvation. He often liked to challenge the older guy since Nick's parents had raised him as a Catholic.

"Sara?" Nick said incredulously, looking her up and down.

Behind her, the sun flared bright and high in the sky, which was nearly cloudless. Sara, on the other hand, looked as if she was a storm on the horizon about to burst out. Her mascara was smeared as if he had rubbed her eyes, but Nick noticed that her eyes were red. She hugged herself tightly and stared at the door stopper at Nick's feet instead of meeting his inquisitive eyes.

"I know I have no right to be here," she began softly, "but I couldn't think of anywhere else to go."

Her lips were swollen and red like her flushed cheeks that were tickled by her chestnut hair.

Nick stepped aside, allowing her in, ignoring the profound urge in him to wrap his arms around and protect her from whoever had caused this sort of damage. But Nick knew exactly who had done this to her. He quickly suppressed his anger as it started to flare because he knew he would take it out on the woman sitting on his leather couch rather than on the man that deserved it.

"What happened, Sar?" Nick questioned softly, closing the door quietly behind him.

She met his eyes as he walked to the couch and he saw that tears were in her eyes before she looked away and back down at her hands. He sat down on the coffee table across from her, taking her small, cold hands in his to comfort her.

"I'm so stupid," she whispered, rubbing her eyes with the hand that Nick wasn't clasping.

"No, you're not. Come on, Sar, tell me what's wrong," he coaxed, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear.

He was thoroughly impressed with himself that he was able to set aside his own qualms and put Sara's needs first. Even if she had always been obsessed with their boss, Sara had always been a good friend to Nick and he knew that he owed her the same care that she had showed him in the past.

"Why can't I just understand that he doesn't love me? That he loves Lady Heather?" she questioned rhetorically.

"Because you love him," Nick replied quietly, looking away as if it pained him to look at her.

"I'm sorry, Nick," she said evenly, drawing his attention back to her.

"For what?"

"For all of this. I had no idea about the way you felt about me."

"_Feel_," he corrected, hanging his head. "That's not important right now. We're worrying about you."

"Nick –"

"What happened at breakfast?"

"He broke my heart… again," she answered.

Nick smiled to himself because under Sara's often tough exterior, she was a hopeless romantic on the inside, fragile and sensitive.

"What did he say?"

"Basically, he said that he was only interested in a professional relationship with me. Nothing more. He said that it would never work out because we're two different people and he's my superior and he's too old and he loves Lady Heather," Sara spilled, taking a long breath at the end.

"And then what happened?" Nick inquired, keeping his voice soft and neutral.

"I may or may not have threw my orange juice into his face and stormed out," she muttered.

Chuckling, Nick patted her hand and then released it, missing her warmth instantly.

"How did you get here?"

"A cab."

"He didn't come after you?"

"Grissom would never chase me, Nick," she stated, meeting his eyes once more. "That's always been the problem."

Uncomfortable with her searching gaze, Nick stood up and whipped his hands nervously on his pants, afraid they were drenched in sweat.

"Can I get you something to drink?"

"No, I'm fine thank you."

Although he didn't feel like a beverage, Nick retreated to the kitchen and braced himself on the counter, letting out a long-held sigh. He had no idea what to do. Every part of him was screaming for him to get back into the foyer and kiss her, hard like he had always dreamed about. However, he knew the utter disaster that would ensue: she would either push him away or welcome the distraction. Nick wasn't comfortable with either of those.

"Nick?" Sara asked softly, standing in the doorway.

"Yeah, sorry," he sniffed, standing upright and facing her.

"May I use your bathroom? I wouldn't mind cleaning up a bit," she chuckled softly, gesturing to her smudged make-up.

"Sure, sure. It's just down the hall and to your left," he pointed.

Sara disappeared into the hallway and it wasn't until Nick heard the bathroom door close did he move. He smacked himself in the head; a desperate attempt at getting himself to smarten up. He couldn't stop thinking about what it would feel like to have her soft lips beneath his and his arms around her, holding her tight. It was obvious that it was a bad idea to even consider taking advantage of her frail state, but Nick wanted to do something for himself for once, to be greedy and selfish.

Against his better judgment, Nick waited outside of the bathroom and leaned against the wall opposite the door with his hands casually in his pockets. He listened to the running water from the tap and the little movements her body made until the door opened and the light flickered off.

"Sorry, did you want to use it?" she blushed.

"No. I have another one."

Sara stepped out slowly into the hallway, now within arms reach of him. He could smell the faint scent of her perfume and the soap that she had used to wash her hands. Nick drew closer to her, never breaking eye contact with her questioning dark chocolate eyes. She leaned her head to the side, her brow perplexed, and made the action to speak, but nothing came out.

Nick's eye traveled across her mouth, down to her exposed neckline and then back up to her eyes where he searched for any warnings. All he saw was want though he wasn't sure that it was for him.

"Nick…" she trailed off, reaching out for him and then letting her hand fall back as if changing her mind.

Gradually, Nick brought his hand to her hip, sliding it around to the small of her back, bringing them instantly closer. Her eyes were still red and her mouth was still swollen from her teeth worrying it, but Nick liked to imagine that that was how her mouth would look after he was done ravaging her with his lips.

Testing the waters, Nick leaned in, an inch away from her lips where he stopped and flicked his eyes up to hers only to find that she was staring directly back at him. Her arms were down at her sides, unsure of what to do with them. She knew what Nick was going to do but she didn't know if she should stop him.

"This is a bad idea," she murmured, her lips closer to his.

"I know," he acknowledged.

His free hand slipped up from Sara's shoulder into her hair, which he grasped lightly before forcing her mouth onto his.

Instantly, Nick was consumed by her softness and warmth that enveloped him. He moaned into her mouth before thinking better of showing his vulnerability. But he didn't care anymore. Sara knew everything without him having to tell her a word. That was one of the reasons why he loved her so much because he felt like she understood him unlike anyone else.

He backed her up until her back hit the wall gently. She was trapped and had nowhere to go. Nick couldn't be happier.

At first, her lips barely moved beneath his, but as he continued to coax them open, she responded and with fervor. Her hands cupped his face, keeping him in place against her while she teased her teeth across his bottom lip.

"Ow," she hissed as Nick pushed harder against her, his belt buckle pinching her stomach.

"Sorry," he breathed, moving to kiss down her neck to her collarbone.

"Nick, we can't do this," she began, fear creeping into her voice.

He pulled back, his hands on her hips and his eyes practically imploring her.

"Why not?"

"You know why not."

"I don't care anymore, Sara. I really don't."

Moving in once more, Nick placed his crooked finger underneath her chin and tilted her face up to his. He nearly melted when he saw the unadulterated lust in her gaze and for a moment, Nick pretended he had been the source of it.

"But I'll hurt you, Nicky," she murmured against his lips.

"Not if I hurt you first, Sara."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** The characters and show aren't mine but the ideas are.

**Rating:** Angst, angst, angst, angst. G?

**A/N:** Sorry it's so short. That's just how it came out. As per usual, thank you for all of the reviews. I'm also working on a sequel to _Say My Name_, which I'll hopefully post soon. However, I have a lot to live up to given the first story so I probably won't post anything until I have a few chapters down and know that I actually have something to write about. If anyone has any ideas, as always, please let me know.

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**Chapter Three**

Laying flat on his back with the blankets draped loosely across his waist, Nick stared up at the ceiling and forced himself to breathe evenly. He heard movements in the bathroom, like running water and shuffling towels, but couldn't bring himself out of his reverie. His heart sank a little when he heard the creak of the bathroom door open and her light footsteps on the carpet because he knew what she was going to say before the words were even out of her mouth.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, standing at the end of the bed. "That's never –"

"I know," he interrupted softly, folding his arms behind his head. "It happens all the time to people."

"But it's never happened to me. I can't believe –"

"Sar, it's not a big deal. I'm already over it."

"Are you sure? Nicky, I'm so sorry."

He winced slightly when she said his pet name but otherwise showed no emotion. The silence between them stretched on as Sara gathered up her clothing from the floor and brought her garments back to the bathroom to get changed.

Nick quietly sighed, a part of him hurt that she wouldn't even dress in front of him. She stepped out a moment later, looking as she did when she had first stepped into his apartment though there were new tears in her eyes that Nick ignored when he glanced at her.

"I think it's best if I leave now," she whispered, starting to move to the door.

Nick got out of bed, already clad in his jeans and no t-shirt, and followed her out of his bedroom. He didn't have anything to say and apparently neither did she because they both remained silent, causing the walk from his room to the front door seem longer than it really was.

As he opened the door for her and stepped aside to let her pass, he caught her eyes as she blinked back more tears. A part of him wanted to embrace her and tell her that everything would be okay and that he didn't care. He would get over it in a few days and they could try again. But he knew that the other part of him was the one that he sympathized with. He wanted to shake her by her delicate shoulders and scream at her for being such a foolish woman. He succumbed to neither.

"See you tomorrow," he said, leaning against the open door for support.

She reached out to take his hand that had been hanging by his side, but he flinched away, causing her to pull back.

"I'm sorry it ended this way, Nick. This isn't how I meant it to be."

"Me neither."

Seeing that she wasn't going to get much more out of him, Sara stepped out of his apartment and before she could turn around to say one final 'I'm sorry' she heard the door close firmly behind her. Tears finally spilled down her cheeks as she slowly made her way down the steps to her car.

On the other side of the door, Nick leaned back against the wall and slid down to the ground, his head in his hands. He could no longer fight back the sobs that threatened to overtake him. Ashamed, he buried his head in his knees that were drawn to his chest and remained like that until there were no more tears.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I don't own, didn't create, and don't profit from CSI.

**Rating: **G

**A/N: **As always, thank you for all the reviews!

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**Chapter Four**

"It was a disaster," groaned Nick, rubbing his face with his hands.

Warrick looked at his friend sitting on the bench in front of him, hunched over with his face in his hands, and couldn't help but pity the poor guy and at the same time, shake him until he regained his senses.

"So let me get this straight: you guys were fooling around and up in your bedroom. Things are going smoothly –"

"Well, except for the part where she said she didn't want to hurt me."

"And what did you say?"

"That I might hurt her first."

"Smooth, Nick," quipped Warrick, folding his arms over his chest as he leaned back against the bay of lockers. "So she was pretty much naked –"

"She was naked."

"Sara was naked, on top of you, and you were still clothed."

"Correct."

"And then she just started balling her eyes out for no reason."

"Yepp."

"While she was naked and on top of you."

"Uh huh."

"And you were doing what when this happened?"

"Hey man, we don't need to get into specifics here. What I was doing is irrelevant."

"I was just thinking that maybe she didn't like what you were doing."

"Ha ha. Can we be a little more serious here?" asked Nick, glancing up at his friend.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist. Did you guys talk about it?"

"We didn't have to. We both knew why she was crying."

"Well, I don't so spill."

"She's in love with Grissom. She doesn't want to be having sex with me. In some twisted way, she probably felt as if she was cheating on him."

"Why did you even put yourself in this situation, Nick? You're a good looking guy. I'm sure you have no problem finding a woman."

"I don't just want some woman, Warrick."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You just want Sara but maybe you should look at this like maybe it wasn't meant to be. You don't want to get involved with her when she's in love with someone else no matter how good the sex is."

"I don't know how good the sex is," Nick muttered, standing up and shoving his hands in his pockets. "So what the heck do I do now? I still have to work with her."

"I'm sure you're used to being in awkward situations with her by now."

"That was before I've seen her naked."

"How was she, by the way? I imagine she has a smoking hot body underneath those black slacks and v-neck sweaters," grinned Warrick.

"You know I'd never tell you."

"I know. Just wanted to see if you would fall for it just once."

"Not likely."

Warrick glanced down at his watch and let out a long sigh.

"We should probably start heading over to get our cases."

As they left the locker room, Nick gave Warrick a big thump on the back.

"Thanks for the talk, man. I really appreciated it."

"No problem. Just next time, I actually want to hear some details."

"Why, isn't Catherine putting out enough for you?"

Warrick gave his friend a hard shove, nearly sending him into one of the new lab techs that was walking by. Nick promptly apologized and then quickly chased after Warrick until Catherine's voice stopped him.

"Boys, does this look like a playground to you?"

"Someone's a little cranky this morning," Nick muttered under his breath to the man beside him. "Did _you_ not put out this morning?"

"I think you should worry about your own love life more than mine."

The three of them walked to Grissom's office where Sara and Greg were already sitting waiting for them. Nick averted his eyes from Sara's inquisitive gaze and settled himself as close to the door as possible in case he needed to make a mad dash away from her.

"We've got two big cases today," started Grissom, distributing folders to everyone. "Greg, you're still in training so you're going to be with Catherine and Warrick. You guys are headed to the strip where a notorious club owner was found dead on the sidewalk outside a strip joint."

"Another day in Las Vegas," muttered Warrick as he flipped through the file.

"Sara and Nick, since you guys did such a good job on the decomp case in the desert a few months ago I thought you guys might enjoy another."

"Thanks," they both muttered together.

"I've got a bunch of paperwork to do so I won't be out on the field today."

With that, the five CSI left Grissom's office and headed down the hall to front. Nick hung back with Sara, more out of obligation that she was his partner than out of want. He listened to his three coworkers in front of him noisily chatting about who they thought the vic was and were taking bets on the cause of death. He already knew that Warrick would win because he always did.

"My truck or yours?" Sara asked quietly once they were out of the building.

"Mine," he replied, taking his keys out of his pockets and walking straight for his truck.

Nick needed the distraction of driving – of anything – to make the day go by faster. The last thing he wanted to do was picture Sara naked or her naked on top of him crying. He shuddered at the last image as he climbed into his truck. It bothered him seeing her in so much pain the night before. As cold and unsympathetic as he had been, the entire time Nick had been fighting the urge to take her in his arms and comfort her. He knew he could make everything better for Sara if only she would let him.

"You look a little tired," she stated softly as he began to back his truck out of its parking stall.

With his hand on the back of her seat, he could feel the heat from her body warming his fingertips and the strands of her hair tickle his skin. He glanced at her and then looked back to make sure he didn't run anything over.

"I didn't get much sleep."

"Me neither."

Silence filled the car as Nick drove out of the parking lot and headed towards the highway. It was going to be a long drive, he thought to himself. The two of them would be out in the middle of the desert in the suffocating heat, stuck with one another and maybe a few other officers.

"I think that I should maybe tell you why I started crying," she began, searching his face. "I'm not sure that you understand why."

"I think it's pretty obvious."

"Okay. Tell me what happened then."

"You're in love with Grissom and sleeping with me would have been the wrong thing to do. You felt bad for using me and you felt like you were cheating on him."

Sara's soft laughter filled his ears. Confused, he hastily stared at her, wondering what exactly was going through her head.

"I really don't find that funny, Sara."

"That's not at all why I was crying, Nicky."

"Enlighten me then."

"I was thinking of how good you treat me and would treat me if you were my boyfriend. I couldn't stop thinking of how big of a mistake I made in choosing Grissom over you, Nick. He's told me enough times that he doesn't love me and I refused to believe him when I had a perfectly great guy right in front of me the entire time."

Sara placed her hand gently over top of Nick's that had been clutching the gear shift for dear life as she spoke.

"I messed up really badly and now I'm afraid that you won't give me a second chance."

"Why should I?"

"You're right. You probably shouldn't."

"You were all but using me last night and you've been dragging me around this entire time by leading me on with your flirtations at work. And I don't want to be second, Sara. I don't want you to be with me because Grissom won't be with you. I'm not second to anybody, especially him."

"I know that, Nicky."

"So why the sudden change of heart?"

"I've always had a thing for you. It just never developed like it did for Grissom."

"Yeah, right."

"Common, the day we met flinging bodies off of a roof? You totally knew I was checking you out."

"So you find me attractive. Big deal."

"I'm asking for a second chance, Nick. If it doesn't work out then at least we can say that we tried and we can both move on."

"What makes you think I already haven't?"

Sara paused, her mouth slightly a gape as she stared at him. He glanced at her, feeling a tinge of smugness that he made her feel disappointed and hurt for a moment.

"You still look at me the same way even though I can tell that you try not."

"I keep looking at you like that because I keep seeing you naked," he drawled, glad that he had to turn the corner so he could have the excuse to look in her direction and see the blush that crept up from her blouse.

"Oh," she murmured, her eyes glued to the window, purposely avoiding the smirk she knew would be plastered across his face.

"That birth mark on your stomach is cute," he continued, seeing just how far he could take it.

"Thanks. I didn't get a chance to see yours."

"Maybe one day I'll show you. In private, of course."

"It wouldn't be a unheard of for you to take off your shirt in public, Nicky."

"True, but I don't normally drop my pants…"

Her eyes flickered to his face and then quickly back out the window. She didn't realized that her hand was still resting on top of Nick's until he turned his over and laced his fingers with hers. Glancing down at their intertwined hands, Sara couldn't help but smile as his warmth enveloped her.

"Does that mean you're giving me a second chance?" she wondered, soundly a little to hopeful to her ears.

"It means I'm thinking about it."

A moment later, the truck stopped and Sara looked around as she undid her seatbelt. Desert, desert, and more desert for miles on end. She couldn't say that she was surprised but she had still thought that maybe there would be some shade somewhere within sight.

"I hope you brought sunscreen," Nick said, stepping out of the truck.

"I forgot," she sighed, adjusting the hat on her head as they walked to meet Brass who walked towards them.

"You're lucky I brought mine," he grinned. "I'd more than happy to help you put some on."

"Nick, Sara. Good timing as usual," greeted Brass. "I'm out of here. I'm done sweating like a pig in this ridiculous suit. You can't miss the body. Just follow your nose."

"Thanks," Nick replied, looking from the detective to the abandoned car surrounded by investigators. "You ready, Sar?"

"I don't think you can ever be ready for a decomp, Nick."


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** See preview chapters' disclaimer.

**Rating:** NC-17

**A/N:** This chapter is dedicated to Julie because I hope that she can find the heart to write one or two more Snickers fics and that this inspires her.

Ashley: thank you for reminding me about lemons because I totally forgot! I was going to facebook you but I decided this was more appropriate. I haven't watched Grey's in over a year. As soon as Meredith's sister came on the show, I got off the bandwagon. You need to get your creative juices…juicing! My present to you: George Eads (naked) and a juicer. Well, I think the juicer is redundant because he is enough to get any girl's juices flowing. I've said 'juice' too many times now… juice. Juice, juice, juice. I'm done now.

* * *

**Chapter Five**

"Sara, I've already seen you naked. What's the big deal?" Nick asked, his hands on his bare hips.

Standing in the middle of the locker room shirtless, Nick stared at Sara who equally stood her ground with her arms folded over her chest.

"That's different. Now can I have some privacy please?"

"Well, I'm not leaving. I stink and desperately need a shower."

"So do I!"

"Maybe we should have one together," he grinned, wiggling his eyebrows at her. "I'll wash your back if you wash mine."

"I don't think so."

"Here's your second chance, Sar."

Sara paused and turned to her locker to hide her crestfallen face from him.

"I was hoping for something more than meaningless sex."

"I'm just thinking of maximizing our ability to get rid of the stench of decomposed human flesh."

"We managed fine last time without showering together. I even got a date with Hank."

"You still smelt really bad."

"No I didn't."

"I didn't want to tell you."

"Nick –" Sara began to whine.

"I'm having a shower. You can either join me or wait until I'm finished to have one."

Sara's jaw dropped when Nick took off his socks and undid his belt, letting his pants drop to the cool tile floor. Swallowing hard, Sara turned back to her locker, making it appear as if she was looking for something. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard his final article of clothing hit the rest of the pile he had made. Peering over her shoulder, she watched Nick's backside as he walked towards the shower. He stopped at the doorway and smirked at her, catching her with her mouth still somewhere around her ankles.

"Coming?"

Her teeth worried her bottom lip and before she could think better of it, nodded in response. Grinning further, Nick disappeared and a moment later, Sara heard the sound of water beating the tiled floor.

Nick didn't know where the courage to just strip in front of Sara and stride past her like it was nothing, had come from. He figured that it must have had something to do with the blazing sun and the smell of rotting flesh. He nervously waited, wondering if she had just nodded her head out of sincerity or disbelief.

Grabbing the shampoo bottle, he poured some in his hand, his eyes flickering to the doorway. It was still empty. He hoped that he didn't scare her away because he was already beginning to doubt his plan to get her naked again. Between wondering if it was too soon or if she was even worth pursuing, Nick had too many doubts running through his head to even think straight.

He turned his back to the doorway and tilted his head up to the showerhead, letting it rinse the shampoo out of his hair. His breath caught in his throat momentarily when he felt her fingertips softly touch his shoulder as if she didn't want to take him by complete surprise.

There she was, naked and clutching her arms, which were folded over her breasts much to Nick's disappointment. The little bit of cleavage, enhanced by her arms pressed against herself, drove him crazy. All he had thought about for days was the feeling of her nipples brushing against his chest; he was desperate to relive it. Her body shook slightly from the combination of the steam and the draft from the fan overhead. Licking his lips, he reached out for her, pulling her towards him by her arm. While she wet her hair and the rest of herself, Nick leaned against the cool tile wall, trapped between it and her body.

When she turned to rinse the product out of her hair, raising her hands to her head and therefore giving Nick a full view of her entire body, he couldn't resist touching her for another moment. Grabbing the body wash from the floor, Nick squirted some in his hand before smoothing it over her stomach and hips.

Even though Sara tried to pull Nick towards her and into the hot water to warm his cool flesh, Nick didn't want to stop touching her. He took a step back so that he could move from soaping her hips to her legs. Kneeling before her on the tile, Nick watched his hands as they roamed up her left calf to the inside of her thigh at a leisurely pace. He could tell from the look that she gave him that she definitely did not want him to stop where he had at her mid-thigh. He massaged from her right thigh down to her calf and then her toes, reveling in the frustrated sigh that he heard above him. Glancing up at her to give her one of his infamous smirks, Nick nearly came at the sight of her: leaning forward with her hands braced against the wall, her breasts tipped down to give him a full view, and a look on her face that told him how much she wanted him right then and there.

"You missed a couple spots," she murmured, letting the water run down her back, though some spilt over her chest, and onto Nick.

"I'm not done yet," he grinned further.

Moving up from the back of her calves, Nick's hands traveled to her behind, bringing his face ultimately closer to her body and almost level with her pelvis. She bit her lip, refraining from the plea that was on the tip of her tongue as Nick's hands massaged her flesh, his breath warm against the inside of her hip. Finally, his hands made their way around to her sides and then down her hips while he pressed kisses across her stomach.

Sitting back on his heels, Nick looked her body over before he reached in between her thighs and gently caressed her with his soaping hand, gripping her hip to hold her in place. Reluctantly, Sara rinsed the soap off of her body when his hands steered her into the hot water. Her disappointment was written across her face and Nick couldn't miss it when he stood up and stepped out of the water.

"We forgot something," he murmured, squeezing her hip in hopes that she didn't think he was abandoning her.

Nick heard a small whimper behind him when he walked out of the shower and back into the cool changing room. His body shook a little from the cold as he rummaged through his locker. On their way back from the desert, Nick had stopped by a local fresh produce market and picked up several lemons. He had learned last time after smelling like decomposed flesh even after having a few showers, where he scrubbed his skin raw. Standing naked in the changing room, Nick cut the lemons in half on the bench with his Swiss Army knife that he always had handy.

A gush of cold air rushed over his body, causing Nick to freeze where he was, poised over the bench with a lemon in one hand and the knife in his other. His head whipped to the door when he heard Warrick's voice, followed by his deep, rumbling laughter.

"Nick, what the hell are you doing?" Warrick asked, leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded over his chest and a smirk on his lips.

"What is it?" chimed in Catherine a moment later, peering over Warrick's broad shoulders.

"What the hell does it look like I'm doing?" he asked darkly, his features becoming flushed.

"Making lemonade naked," Warrick answered.

There was a long pause filled with Catherine's giggling and Nick's stillness. He was trying to cover himself as much as possible, hoping that he was more successful than he felt at the moment.

"Um, do you guys mind?"

Warrick cleared his throat out of awkwardness. "Oh, uh, yeah. Sorry, man. We'll leave you to it," he replied, as if he suddenly realized that he was staring at a very naked and a very wet Nick Stokes.

Just as Warrick turned to go, pushing Catherine – who appeared to be rooted the spot with wide eyes – out in front of him, Warrick stopped abruptly when he heard another familiar voice. He turned his head, glancing over his shoulder to meet her eyes.

"Nicky, what's taking you so long?"

Peering around the tile corner of the communal showers, Sara instantly flushed from head to toe and retreated further around the corner, pleading with some higher power that Warrick hadn't heard her or seen anything.

"Smooth, Nick," Warrick grinned, beaming with approval.

"We had unexpected company," Nick replied, finally standing up after their friends left the locker room.

"That felt very awkward."

"I think Catherine burned the image of me naked into her memory. I feel violated," he said, as he made his way to her with lemon halves in his arms.

"It could've been much worse," she stated, shrugging her shoulders.

"I suppose."

Nick trailed behind her until they both slipped into the consuming heat of the water. He dropped all but one half of a lemon onto the ground and began squeezing its juices onto Sara's hair until nothing was left.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** None of it's mine and you know it.

**Rating:** NC-17… AC not included.

**A/N:** Thank you for the patience and the reviews. Both are undoubtedly appreciated.

* * *

**Chapter 6**

"Nothing happened."

"You were naked, she was naked. Something had to have happened."

"Nothing."

"You're embarrassing."

"What?" Nick exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air. "I was a perfect gentleman."

"She didn't let you shower with her so that you could be a gentleman, Nick."

"Sara's not like that," he protested.

"I can't be associated with someone like you," Warrick sighed, rubbing his eyes.

"So I'm not a pervert like the rest of your friends."

"At least my friends have girls," he replied, shaking his head in disappointment at him. "I'm not saying you should have molested her…just…something!"

"I wanted to show her that I'm not in this for only the sex."

"In order to be allowed to say that, you actually need to be having sex. And another thing, isn't she the one that needs to show you that she's not in this for only sex?"

"Whatever, man. It's not important."

"Seriously disappointed in you, Nicky, though I doubt not as much as Sara."

"She's probably pleased that I didn't take advantage of her like most guys would," responded Nick, folding his arms over his chest defensively.

***

"He's gay," Catherine replied, leaning back in her chair as she flipped through her trashy magazine.

Sara sat down across from her at the lunch room table with her cup of coffee in one hand and a banana in the other.

"He's not gay."

"Total homosexual. Gay, gay, gay."

"Catherine, you're being ridiculous."

"No, I think you're the one who's being ridiculous. He didn't make a move on you. Therefore, Nick Stokes is gay. End of story."

"I knew it!" exclaimed Greg, just as he entered the break room.

"She's not serious," Sara said hastily, looking from the blonde to the other blond.

As she took her high-heeled ankle boots off the table and tossed her magazine in its former spot, Catherine replied, "Dead serious."

"Do you think he's got a thing for blonds?" Greg wondered, reaching into the fridge.

"Greg, Nick is straight. Sorry," answered Sara, sipping her coffee.

"You think I'm gay?" Greg accused quickly. "I am _not_ gay. I'm asking on behalf of a friend. You know, the one that came to the Christmas party last year?"

"Who wore the mesh shirt?" Catherine questioned, a look of moderate disgust written on her features.

"It was transparent. Not mesh."

"It was mesh," restated Catherine. "And unfortunately, it was cliché as well."

"He's got an amazing body. Obviously he wanted to show it off," Greg said defensively, stirring his yogurt.

"Greg, do you mind if Catherine and I have some alone time? We were sort of in the middle of an important conversation," Sara asked delicately, knowing that Greg would indefinitely want to stay and hear some gossip.

"I'll eat my yogurt in silence, I swear."

"Please, Greggo," Sara whined softly, pouting a little. "I'll give you my Fruit by the Foot."

"Deal," he agreed, reaching across the table to snatch up her treat off the table space in front of her.

Sara watched his retreating form and denied Catherine's impending accusation once he was out of earshot.

"Just because Nick was a gentleman, doesn't mean he's gay."

"In this case, actually, it does. There's nothing wrong with falling for a homosexual man, Sara. It happens all the time. It's easier for some women to tell more than others. And Nick's a difficult case to decipher but if you look closely, you can tell. There are always signs."

"Catherine, stopping stereotyping."

"I'm not stereotyping. I'm simply saying that Nick rarely ever has a girlfriend and when he does, they never last long. There's your first clue. Second, he showers naked with you and doesn't even make a move even after you throw yourself at him."

"I did _not_ throw myself at him."

"Small details," Catherine replied, waving her hand over the matter. "The point is you need to move on now. Like I said before, it's okay. I've made the same mistake as you. Well, actually, I haven't because I can always tell."

"Nick hits on women all the time."

"Cover up. Do you think that Warrick and he would be best buds if Nick was gay?"

"Warrick isn't homophobic."

"No, but, generally speaking of course, straight men get uncomfortable around homosexuals. I think they misunderstand that not every homosexual is attracted to every man, but that's irrelevant. What is relevant is that Nick is definitely gay."

"He was, um…" Sara started, fidgeting with her hands, "_aroused_ while we were showering."

"Well of course he was, Sara! He was thinking about another man while he was soaping your back. Maybe he likes effeminate men. There. That's it."

"Oh, thanks, Catherine! You're lots of help," Sara blurted out, no longer able to withstand her friend's accusation. "This is actually ridiculous! I can't believe that you would say all those things about Nick… and me!"

"Maybe you should talk to him about this, Sara. That's the only way you're going to get any answers."

"That's a great idea," Sara muttered, staring into her empty mug, wondering when she had drunk all the coffee. "I'll just get right on that."

"If you want to get on Nick then you're going to have to."

"How would I be getting on Nick if he's gay?"

Catherine glanced up at her friend, a patronizing smile spread across her painted red lips.

"I was simply making observations, Sara. What do I know?"

"Ugh," Sara ground out, letting her chair scrape noisily against the floor as she stood up.

With amusement in her eyes, Catherine watched as her friend stormed out of the lunch room, no doubt headed for the lay out room where Nick was currently examining evidence from the case he was investigating with Sara. Meanwhile, Sara was storming down the hallway so fast she almost missed the lay out room. She stomped into the room with her hands on her hips after slamming the door shut, waiting for Nick to look up from a straw they found in the backseat of the car with the petrified human goo in the trunk.

"You okay, Sar?" Nick drawled, glancing up from the straw before he placed it back down gently onto the lit-up table.

The question was a bit redundant because Nick could clearly see that Sara was anything but okay. In fact, she looked furious and her anger was rolling off her in waves. Standing straight, Nick braced himself for any physical or verbal attack that seemed highly probable at the moment.

"Why didn't we have sex in the shower?" Sara exclaimed, her face revealing her self-consciousness for a moment before it was quickly replaced with anger.

"I tried to be a gentleman," he replied feebly, instantly hearing how ludicrous it sounded.

"I don't want you to be a gentleman!" She paused, thinking about her words for a moment. "Well, I do but not all the time. Definitely not when I'm naked and in the shower with you."

"Why didn't you say something?"

"What was I supposed to have said, Nick? 'Um, can we have sex now?'"

"Well, if you would have, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now, would we?"

Sara shortened the distance between them in two strides so that she was practically fuming in his face, as if he couldn't tell already that she was pissed right off.

"Don't give me lip, Nicolas," she chastised.

"I thought you wanted me to give you lip."

"So why aren't you? Why are we having –"

Sara's words were hacked off when Nick closed his mouth around hers, immediately silencing her. At first, she was stiff with the sudden invasion but she quickly eased into Nick's plundering mouth, his hands already settling on her hips possessively. Turning her so that she was pressed up against the table, Nick hoisted one of her legs around his waist and ground against her.

Her breaths came out in slight pants as his lips reacquainted themselves with her neck, the patch of skin in the hollow of her collarbone that was revealed when Nick pulled her shirt to the side. Sara's hands inquisitively sought purchase in finding their way in Nick's lab coat and underneath the front of his shirt so she could rake her nails across Nick's stomach muscles. Groaning into her mouth, Nick relished in the feeling of her marking him for hers, even if she didn't think of it that way.

"Nick, should we really be doing this in here?"

Looking around, Nick thought about her question for a second and then moved any evidence out of the way with a sweep of his glove-clad hand. It was the first time since he laid his mouth on her that he noticed that he still had his gloves on. He quickly divested himself of them and tossed them onto the floor where Sara's pants were soon found. She made quite the sight before him, wearing her white lab coat, shirt, and underwear while her bare legs appeared a stark contrast. Grinning at the image before him, Nick pounced on her, claiming her mouth once more as her hands sought out the zipper of his pants.

"This isn't quite what I had in mind, you know," Nick murmured against her throat.

"Yeah, it's better," she replied, her voice raspy with need.

His chuckle quickly turned to a groan when her hand snaked its way into the front of his pants, closing around his hardening flesh. With her hand down his jeans, Sara awkwardly moved her hand down then back up his length and smirked when he stopped moving all together, too focused on her touch. Her free hand immediately set out to alleviate the awkwardness by yanking down his jeans until they settled around his knees before his boxer briefs followed suit. With his teeth, Nick caught her tongue that darted out to moisten her lips.

As her strokes became more fluid, Nick's breathing became more ragged and his focus began to wane. Sara desperately wanted him to touch her but she also didn't want to stop touching him, especially if it meant that the drunken look plastered across Nick's face would fade. It appeared that Nick either read her thoughts or remembered that Sara also needed some attending to for he reached for her panties, careful not to disturb Sara's ministrations while he removed her undergarment.

Nick gracefully hoisted Sara up and onto the lay out table and softly laughed when she commented on its warmth due to its lights. Gazing into her chestnut eyes, Nick couldn't help but notice her short breaths when his fingers grazed the inside of her thighs, one finger dipping into her wet heat to test the waters. Reluctantly, Sara relinquished her hold on Nick in order to grip the edges of the table to stabilize herself. Her teeth ere ripping into her bottom lip, desperate to conceal any words that threatened to tumble off her tongue. The last thing she needed was to give themselves away, despite the closed door, with the loud shouts that were likely to pass by her pursed mouth if she opened it. Nick noticed her furrowed brow and utter concentration on keeping quiet. As much as Nick appreciated Sara's discretion, he wanted to open her up badly.

"Is everything all right, Sara?" Nick asked calmly, though he definitely was not.

He paused his fingers, biting back a groan when her inner muscles clenched around them, begging him to continue.

"Mhm," she replied, refusing to open her mouth.

"Are you sure?" he asked once again, slipping his fingers out of her.

"No," she breathed out.

Her head rested on his shoulder and when she whimpered softly all of Nick's remaining resolve diminished. Pulling her closer, Nick kissed her gently on the mouth and began to tease her entrance with his erection, hoping that she would whimper again for him. When he slid in the head and stopped, waiting for any protests, he got what he had been yearning for. She whined faintly into his ear as her nails dug into his shoulders blades and her hips rocked forward to encourage him on. Nick could no longer suppress the overwhelming desire to plunge all the way into her and take her right then and there on the lay out room table surrounded by evidence.

His sigh tickled her neck and cheek as he began to thrust into her, slowly at first for her to adjust. To him, sinking into Sara felt like coming home and he wanted to relish every second of it despite Sara's pleas for him to take her harder and faster. Never one to disappoint, Nick did as she demanded and drove hard into her and slowly out. His hand cradled the back of her head while the other gripped the underside of one of her thighs that was wrapped around his waist.

There were too many sensations simultaneously occurring for Nick to last much longer. Her muscles flexing around him coupled with her wetness was driving him crazy. Her hands were grasping at him for what seemed like dear life and her mouth openly welcomed him. She was constantly yearning for more, eager to take what ever Nick gave her. That alone was enough to arouse Nick and more than enough to push him over the edge. With no other warning than Nick's faltering sporadic thrusts, Nick came and gave one long groan that stirred something deep in Sara's belly. She cradled him, her arms slipping out of his coat to settled around his shoulders, as he panted heavily into the crook of her neck, desperately trying to catch his breath. Pulling back slightly, Nick kissed Sara gently and savored the smile that he could tell was on her lips.

Too focused on the afterglow of their post-coital bliss neither of them heard the door's telltale creak but did hear the clatter of a clipboard on the ground.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I don't profit from it, I didn't create it, and I don't own it.

**Rating:** G-unit.

**A/N:** Thank you for all the wonderful reviews : D

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

Sitting quietly in one of the poorly padded chairs in Grissom's office, Sara was still in shock and consequently let Nick do all the talking for her. Her hands gripped the armrests tightly while her gaze remained focused on Grissom's feet poking out from underneath his desk. Their voices barely registered in her mind because her mind was too overrun with thoughts about Nick and the fact that they had just been caught having sex in the lay out room, surrounded by evidence that was potentially compromised, by her boss, a man she used to be in love with.

"I made sure I moved all the evidence out of the way," Nick reasoned, trying to soften the blow that he knew was coming.

"That's very considerate of you, Nick. I'll tell that to the husband of Jean Dominick after I tell him that most of the evidence was compromised because you couldn't keep your teenage hormones in check for another two hours until you were off."

"Do you know what she does to me in that lab coat?" Nick daringly jested, fingering the sleeve of Sara's coat.

"I think I caught of glimpse of it ten minutes ago."

"That was nothing."

"_That_ was more than enough for the work place, Nick. I'm disappointed in both of you. Why the lay out room? Honestly, it's not like there aren't plenty of other places safer to do _that_ in."

"Thanks for the pointers, Griss. I'll remember that next time."

"There will be no next time," Grissom growled, shuffling papers distractedly on his desk.

Nick regarded him with amusement in his eyes. There was no way that either of them would come out of this unscathed but Nick figured that he may as well have fun with it while he could because to him, it was terribly comical while to Sara, it was just plain terrible.

"Oh, I think there will be. Maybe even later today," Nick grinned.

Nick patted Sara's sleeve in hopes of getting her attention. She absently nodded, which would have driven Nick into hysterics given the context, but he noticed that her eyes had been downcast the entire time and she had spoken all of two words: 'I'm sorry.'

"This isn't a joke, Nick. Thousands of lives are ruined every year from this."*

"I find that _very_ hard to believe."

"Okay, maybe not thousands."

"Maybe just two?"

"The point is, is that you could be fired for this if the wrong people find out."

Sara perked up upon hearing the dreaded 'f' word.

"No, Sara, I'm not going to fire either you. I aside from this incident and a couple other minor ones, you two are outstanding CSI. It would be very hard to replace you both."

"So you're not going to fire us?" Sara asked softly, flicking her eyes up to meet Grissom's.

"I don't see the merit in it."

From under his hand that still rested on her arm, Nick could feel relief wash over Sara, instantly relaxing her. He was glad to hear it too because he doubted that either of them would have been able to find a job elsewhere with that on their record. Nick squeezed her arm gently for support and she turned to him with a faint smile on her face.

"That's definitely good news," Nick replied, breaking the silence that had enveloped the room.

"It doesn't mean that you two aren't going to receive disciplinary actions."

"Are you going to send us to Lady Heather?" Nick chided, winking at Grissom.

"Nick, do you really want to test me? Because I can reconsider my decision have this brought to Ecklie if that's what you would prefer."

"Nicky, stop it," Sara whispered, leaning closer to him so he could hear her.

Grissom watched the two of them and couldn't help but feel a bit of envy. However, he knew that he had chosen another woman over Sara and that he had missed his chance. Now, he would have to deal with that decision and it was apparent that Sara already had.

"So, I think two weeks' suspension is order with clearly no pay."

"That's fair," Nick agreed.

"Sara, we're finished here. I would like to speak with Nick alone now," Grissom stated.

Looking from her boss to her lover, Sara wasn't sure if leaving the two of them together was the right idea. She couldn't imagine what Grissom would want to speak with Nick about and hoped that it wasn't about her. Sighing, she stood up and grasped Nick's hand momentarily before striding out of the office, closing the door gently behind her. There was really no where for her to go. The case her and Nick were working on would likely be transferred to Greg, who had recently began trying to become a CSI, and no doubt Catherine. She felt slightly guilty that her coworkers would have to take on a heavier load because of her and Nicks' negligence. As bad as she felt, she figured it was worth it and that they would understand. Well, maybe not Greg, but Catherine and Warrick would definitely. Sara stood outside of Grissom's office, leaning with her back against the wall, hoping to make words out of the low voices that she heard.

"So, Griss, what's up?"

"I want you to know Nick that I want you and Sara to be happy."

Shifting awkwardly in his seat, Nick tried to avoid the seriousness in Grissom's stare and opted for focusing on one of the pictures just above Grissom's left shoulder. This was _not_ the kind of conversation Nick had been anticipating and certainly not one that he wanted to have. If anything, Nick had thought that Grissom was going to reprimand him for not taking the situation seriously and for making that wise crack at his boss's girlfriend.

"Um, thanks," Nick mumbled.

"You're the better guy here. You'll give Sara what I never could."

"What you never _wanted_ to give her," Nick corrected.

"That too, I suppose. You two are meant to be together and I want it to work out for you both. She needs someone to love her and I can tell that she's found that in you. I haven't seen her happy, in well, quite some time."

Nick wasn't really sure what to say to any of what Grissom was saying. He figured that the man simply needed to speak his mind and that Nick was only there to listen.

"Next time though, Nick, can you please have a little more discretion?"

"Sorry, Grissom. Clearly I wasn't thinking with the right head… I mean, my head," Nick responded, failing at suppressing the grin that broke across his face.

Grissom coughed lightly into his fist and then dismissed the other man without meeting his smirk. One of the last things Grissom wanted to remember was the image of Nick pounding into Sara on the layout room table. Her face in the throes of passion was permanently etched into his mind and he was sure that he would not be able to go into that room for weeks without thinking of them. Luckily, he had been smart and assigned Catherine to salvage anything she could, giving her brief details on what had transpired.

Opening the door to Grissom's office, Nick caught Sara pacing in the hallway, biting her thumbnail. Her eyes flashed up to meet his as she stopped upon hearing the sound of the opening door.

"It's all good, Sar. Stop worrying," Nick murmured into Sara's hair, embracing her tightly.

Her arms wound around him while she sighed heavily into his collar, visibly relaxing.

"What did say? You guys were talking so quietly I couldn't hear a word you said."

"I wonder why we were doing that," he teased, nipping her neck with teeth. She squirmed in his arms but he held her to him, refusing to let go. "He told me to have a little more discretion."

"He didn't reprimand you further?"

"No. Do _you_ need a proper reprimand, Sara? Because I would be more than happy to give you one if necessary."

"I'm being serious."

"I can tell." He pouted playfully.

"I can't believe that he gave us two weeks off together. I was sure that it would have been separate so we could suffer."

"Nah. He's not cold blooded."

"Why do you say that? You can't stand him."

"It sounded like he truly wants us to be happy. I can't dislike him after he said that."

"Did he seriously tell you?"

"And that he thinks that I'm the right guy for you. So now that we have Grissom's blessing and two weeks off, how about we go get hitched in Hawaii?"

* * *

* This line is loosely based on one that Dwight said from the American adaptation of _The Office_: "Identity theft is not a joke, Jim. Millions of lives are ruined every day." I'm currently undertaking an _Office_ marathon since season five is out in September. That's a really good scene. Watch it. Oh yeah, no infringement intended, just laughs.


End file.
